The present invention relates to ambulance cots and more particularly to a multiple purpose ambulance cot having a base structure which serves as a carrier for a patient supporting stretcher which is detachably secured to the carrier so that the assembled unit may be employed as a conventional ambulance cot, the stretcher top being removable for separate use in instances where it would not be practical to use the entire cot.
The conventional ambulance cot is provided with wheels and is adapted to be secured to the floor and/or walls of the ambulance or emergency vehicle with which it is used, the vehicle being provided with special fittings to lock the cot in place. In addition to the standard ambulance cot in which the patient supporting cot frame is secured directly to an undercarriage having wheels at its corners, there are also elevating cots in which the patient supporting cot frame may be raised and lowered relative to the undercarriage, as well as arrangements wherein the cot frame is provided with legs mounting wheels at their lowermost ends, the legs being collapsible as the cot is placed in the vehicle. While such cot structures have a wide range of utility, situations are encountered wherein it is impractical to transport the patient to or from the ambulance utilizing any of the existing types of ambulance cots. For example, narrow passageways, tortuous turns, or steep stairways may make it impractical to use a conventional ambulance cot to transfer the patient. Many ambulances are equipped with separate pieces of equipment, such as stretchers and stretcher-chairs, to take care of such situations. However, this requires additional equipment as well as storage space for the additional equipment, and storage space is usually at a premium in most ambulances. In addition, since it is desirable to have both the patient and the cot securely fastened while traveling in the ambulance, it has hitherto been necessary to either transfer the patient to the existing ambulance cot, which can be securely fastened in place, or else strap the patient and the auxiliary stretcher to the existing cot frame, which is often difficult to do and requires additional handling time -- time which can be critical in an emergency.
In contrast to the foregoing, the present invention provides an improved ambulance cot having a removable top or stretcher part which may be readily separated from the remainder of the cot for independent use, the arrangement being such that the stretcher top may be quickly and easily removed as well as reengaged with the cot.